One by one, local artists stepped onto a small stage in a spacious Englewood living room and crooned about lovers, belted out ballads about their children and lamented about a family member in jail.

The audience, seated on folding chairs and surrounded by artwork, chimed in with accolades: "That's right!" and "You know that's true!"

That kind of support for artists is exactly what Sam Smith envisioned when he opened the nonprofit Perry Mansion Cultural Center last fall in a Queen Anne-style home in one of the city's most crime-ridden and impoverished neighborhoods.

He also wants to hold Sunday jazz brunches and youth arts programs in an area where drugs and gangs are the norm.

Check out the latest news on PMCC news feed. Storied feature articles in PMCC, the neighborhood, Chicago, the arts and more.

The PMCC website also features a member’s only secure community blog that provides a safe space to share community news and current updates. Join now to connect with local residents and law enforcement.